Two bearded dragons smuggled in ‘toy’ parcel delivered to convenience store

Two bearded dragons smuggled in ‘toy’ parcel delivered to convenience store

2025-08-21

A carton that contained something ordered online kept shaking, causing quite a stir in a convenience store in New Taipei. A clerk grabbed the box, which supposedly contained toys, only to confront a live lizard that lept out from it. And it wasn’t alone; there was another reptile companion inside the package.

The parcel keeps shaking. What’s inside? Surely not live reptiles, right?

The clerk was flabbergasted after a lizard leapt out of the box and chilled among the parcels. They immediately called animal protection officials.

Member of public
Wouldn’t they be caught at the customs inspection? You have to declare the packages. It’s crazy! Border officials should pay more attention.

Member of public
It’s insane. But it’s hard to catch things like this. It’s really cruel to the animals. It also shows there are cracks in animal quarantine procedures.

The buyer later admitted to spending NT$20,000 to get two red bearded dragons imported from Guangdong, China. Though the buyer was unaware of whether the seller had notified authorities, it still broke the Act on Wildlife Conservation.

Yang Shu-fang
Animal protection official
According to the Act on Wildlife Conservation, the import or export of live wild animals and products made from protected wildlife is prohibited without the approval of the central competent authority. Violators may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.

Bearded dragons are mostly native to eastern Australia. They are a diurnal reptile species and grow 40 to 50 cm long. They are highly sought after as pets for their gentle temperament, and they typically cost more than NT$10,000.

Lai Hsing-shih
Taiwan Insect Museum
They can even go for several weeks without eating. When food is scarce in their environment, their metabolism slows down, putting them into a semi-dormant state. These lizards are known as bearded dragons. When they are courting or very angry, their chins turn black.

The lizards made it through the mail alive, thanks to their slowed metabolism inside the cardboard box. They were quite dehydrated, however, and were eager to gulp down water. Unscrupulous sellers and buyers are clearly trampling on the welfare of these creatures.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#beardeddragon #wildlifeprotection #news #newtaipei #lizard #caught #taobao #taobaofinds

超商包裹破洞鑽出活體"鬆獅蜥" 店員嚇壞通報動保處

2025-08-21

真的嚇壞！新北市府動保處日前接獲通報，某超商內竟出現蜥蜴，結果人員到場查驗後，在包裹堆中，發現一隻雄性「紅魔血系鬆獅蜥」。進一步開箱檢查後，又發現另一隻雌性鬆獅蜥。動保處找到王姓買家，他坦言在淘寶花2萬跟中國賣家購買，被依野生動物保育法裁罰1萬元、並沒入蜥蜴。

超商包裹不停晃動，因為裡頭裝的是活生生的爬蟲類動物！

看到這畫面店員真的嚇傻！其中一隻還跳出紙箱、趴在其他包裹上，超商趕緊通報動保處。

[[民眾]]
“進海關時候不是應該要審查嗎，我記得要報關啊，這是蠻誇張的，感覺我們海關要多注意一下”

[[民眾]]
“蠻誇張的，但這也不好查得到，從動物角度來說這很不人道，從檢疫角度也會有很多漏洞”

王姓買家花2萬元從中國廣東購買2隻「紅魔血系鬆獅蜥」，雖然不知道對方沒報關，但已經違反「野生動物保育法」。

[[新北動保處處長楊淑方]]
“依據野生動物保育法規定，野生動物的活體以及保育類野生動物的產製品，非經中央主管機關的同意，不得輸入或輸出，違反者可處1萬元以上，5萬元以下罰鍰”

「鬆獅蜥」大多分布於澳洲東部，是日行性動物，體型40到50公分，個性溫馴，是這幾年很受歡迎的寵物，一隻要價上萬元。

[[台灣昆蟲館副館長賴幸詩]]
“牠們甚至可以，好幾個星期不進食都可以，當環境食物不允許的時候，牠們新陳代謝會變得比較慢，啟動有點半休眠狀態，牠有另一個名字叫「鬍子龍」，求偶或是很生氣的時候，牠們的下巴會變得特別的黑”

還好鬆獅蜥不需要經常進食，但長時間關在箱子裡、輕微脫水，被放出來一看到水就大口猛喝，中國賣家用玩具名義偷渡鬆獅蜥，好在生命力夠強、保住性命！

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi receives a certificate, along with a painting. She has won a “New Generation Taiwan Spirit Award.” In recent years, Yang has penned many literary works, all of which are related to Taiwan’s history and unique consciousness. In this way, she has successfully promoted Taiwan’s history and culture on the global stage.

Yang Shuang-zi
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As a writer who was able to receive this honor in the course of her career, Yang said she wanted to thank the previous generation who worked hard for Taiwan’s democratic consciousness, giving them her highest stamp of approval.

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Member of public
It’s not good to face the corner of other people’s homes, so they put this here. Some people will put fengshui items like a bagua mirror or shanhaizhen to block bad energies.

Passersby are curious what the statue is for. After all, it’s pretty eye-catching to have a giant green Hulk standing just outside your store. If you ask the owner, he’ll tell you it’s because there’s an alley just outside the entrance. Afraid of the bad fengshui caused by being at the end of a T-intersection, he had the idea to build the Hulk there to stop the bad energy.

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